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Monday, August 22, 2011

From the Bargain Bin at TNA

I spent quite a bit of time drooling over the books for sale on the shelves at the Bookshop in The National Archives at Kew. Unfortunately because I only had a 23kg weight limit on my luggage from London to Europe I was unable to buy some of the weighty tomes that piqued my interest. If I had known then that the Sofitel at Heathrow where we were to stay had a bag minding facility my bags back to Australia would have been heavier and my wallet lighter.

I did sport myself a TNA notepad and pencil (I'm an old kid) as souvenirs as well as three little books from the summer sale. At just £2.99 I couldn't go past them.

The Family History Companion is an A-Z guide that provides tips for researchers, meanings of terms used in genealogy and short articles on things like the Hearth Tax and Parish Registers.

Family History in the Genes was published 4 years ago so is a bit out of date but for someone like me, who is scientifically illiterate, it is a useful little reference book. This title must have sold out as I cannot now find it on the bookshop site.

I have yet to read Family History in the Wars by Military Specialist, William Spencer. It looks as though it will give a useful overview of the conflicts in which Britain has taken part from 1899 to 1953 and the related military records that are available for genealogists to use.

I am sorry that I did not also purchase Easy Family History. I rejected this title because it was a beginner's guide - I should not have done so because I am sure that I would have learnt something from this little book that is still available online and in the bookshop.